Manchester University Medicine Interview Questions (2025 entry)

About Manchester Medical School (2025 Edition)

Manchester medical school is a modern medical school that gives students an appropriate level of independence with studies.

Nevertheless, the medical school is big on wellbeing with a great supportive mechanism.

Teams and structures are designed to protect the students from increased workload and poor mental health.

The first 2 years of the course are based on campus, with a Problem-Based Learning structure. The final 3 years of the course are based at a hospital.

University of Manchester Interview Information

🔍How does Manchester University select candidates for interviews?

GCSEs/A-levels/Highers: For Manchester university as long as you reach the minimum entry requirements, your grades won't influence your application. You must achieve at least 7 GCSEs at grade 7/A or higher. English and maths must be at grade B or higher and two science subjects are required at grade 6/B.Your GCSEs are not used beyond minimum requirement. The standard A-level offer is AAA, to include chemistry/biology/hman biology, and either biology/chemistry/maths or physics. Scottish students must achieve AAAA at higher by end of S5. In S6 you must achieve either AAA at advanced higher or AA in advanced higher and A at a new higher subject.

Personal statement: Applicants personal statements are not usually read by admission staff or taking into consideration when selecting students. However, applicants are required to complete a non-academic information form.

Reference: Manchester places high importance on the reference. If any unusual events impacts your academic results then your referee should write about it.

UCAT: All students are required to sit UCAT. Manchester select students with medium UCAT scores of 2500-2600. Applicants in the third decile are offered interview. Those with lower scores may be invited to interview if their overall applications are strong. Those with a SJT of band 4 will be rejected. Those with band 3 are welcome to apply however priority is given to those with band 1 or 2.

🧬What is the interview format?

The interview process for 2023 entry will adopt a five-station multiple mini interview (MMI) format. You can choose whether to sit your interview in person or online. The interview will be the same standard regardless. The interview in each station was eight minutes long and there was a two-minute gap between stations. The starting station was allocated at random, and applicants passed round in order from station to station until they completed them all.

📆 When will you get interview invitations?

Interview invitations are typically sent out between end of November and February.

👩‍💼 When are the interviews usually held?

For 2025entry, interviews will be held in December 2022 and March 2023.

📝 What are the main topics I will be asked at the interview?

Each station is marked by a separate interviewer. Common areas that are tested are:

• Why do you want to be a doctor?

• Previous caring experience

• Matters of a medical interest

• Ethical and other issues

• Communication skills

☑️ How will my interview be marked?

The interview is designed to test you meet the non-academic criteria. You are marked on your responses and interpersonal skills.

🏠How many applicants are there per interview? (Home)

2.1 home applicant per interview.

🌎How many applicants are there per interview? (International)

2.28 International applicants per interview.

✨How likely is it that I will be given an offer after an interview?

Home: 1587 UK students were interview and 870 were given offers. This is a 51%. chance of success after interview!

International: 178 international students were interviewed, with 48 receiving an offer. This is a 35% chance of success!

• Two key components of being successful in a Manchester Medical School interview are 1. Communication skills and 2. Good knowledge of ethics, the GMC and being weary of what is expected of you as a medical student and a Junior Doctor.
  

• Empathy and listening skills are essential in good communication, as well as speaking clearly and politely - taking a patient centred approach to any interview station you complete will almost certainly win over the interviewer.
  

• Know about the GMC’s ‘Good Medical Practice’ and “Tomorrow’s Doctors’ documents, as well as knowing the 4 pillars of ethics.

Check out our Medicine Interview Course!

🔥Motivation Interview Questions

• Why do you want to do medicine?

• Why medicine over any other healthcare profession?

• What made you decide to study Medicine?

• Why do you want to be a doctor, rather than a nurse?

• Why do you want to study at Manchester?

• What are the advantages of PBL?

• What are the roles of a doctor?

• If you had a terrible day, your patient died, and you come home at 3:00 am, what would you do to unwind/de-stress?

• What are the bad points about being a doctor?

🏢 Teamwork Interview Questions

• Give me an example of a time you demonstrated teamwork in a pressure situation, and how it has contributed to your development.

🎭Roleplay Interview Questions

• You are on the ward as a Foundation Year 1 Doctor. You have just prescribed some paracetamol to a patient but realise you have given him a 2g dose instead of 1g. The nurse administered medication 10 minutes ago. Please speak to the patient about what has happened and the next steps.

🏥Work Experience Interview Questions

• Discuss an experience you've had in the medical field that has developed you as a professional

❤️ Medical Ethics Interview Questions

• Tell me what you know about the GMC?

• Have you read up on the documents 'Good Medical Practice' and 'Tomorrow's Doctors'?

• Tell me about the 4 pillars of ethics?

• What are your views on cloning?

• Should the MMR vaccine be compulsory?

• Should obese people be given knee transplants?

• Should obese people be given heart transplants?

• Pharmaceutical industry: should their products be sold over the internet?

• Should plastic surgery be available on the NHS?

• What is your view of a baby on life support and placing a DNAR order?

• Which five patients out of the ten should get a hip replacement?

• Should a man with lung cancer from smoking be treated or a man with lung cancer not caused by smoking? What if the finance was limited? Who to spend the money to treat? Who decides who will receive the treatment?

🗓 Current affairs Interview Questions

• Talk to the interviewer about the COVID-19 vaccine, and what your opinion is on the possibility of needing a COVID-19 passport to enter places.

📰 Science and Medical Interview Questions

• What are the differences between primary and secondary care?

• What do you think will be the main advancements in medicine in the next 20 years?

• How would you protect yourself from litigation?

• What factors affected the health of Victorians?

• What differences do you think there will be when you're a doctor?

• Should politicians disclose statistics regarding surgeons’ success rates?

• What changes in the last 50 years or so have affected the health of the nation?

• What possible problems might you face as a doctor in 20 years’ time?

• What do you think would improve the NHS/ if you were in charge - what would you do to improve it?

• You are the health minister of this country, and the Indian health minister writes to you complaining that you are taking away their good nurses. How do you deal with the situation?

• Who would you put on a panel to discuss Gene Therapy?

• How far do you think medical soaps on TV educate the public on preventative medicine? Do you think more should be done to make these dramas realistic?

• What do you think about people using the internet for self-diagnosis?

Manchester offers exposure to full body dissections via the weekly anatomy sessions. Over the course of each semester, you and your group are allocated a fully body specimen that is used as visual learning for revision. Communication skills are key, and the medical school does an amazing job of embedding it the curriculum from the first semester with weekly sessions in the consultation skills learning centre, with surplus feedback and simulated patients to help you to improve your skillset. A wide variety of intercalation options after the 2 pre-clinical years are also on offer at the university.

The Problem-Based Learning approach offers the independence to do as much work as you feel is appropriate in order to pass your exams and make you a better Doctor, as well as meeting a minimal criterion with Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs). ILOs are embedded into the curriculum throughout clinical years too. Most would say that the work-life balance can be really good. The campus is big, with people from different backgrounds and courses. Everything from shops, accommodation and train stations are either within a 20–30-minute walking distance, or a short bus journey away (the campus is situated in the busiest bus route in Europe!). There are an endless number of societies and sports clubs that can be joined, and Manchester is an amazing city with lots to explore.

From the first week, the Students Union hosts events for all students from all courses, on a weekly basis. The medical school also has its own medical society that looks to host events for the incoming medical students. Therefore, there is opportunity to mix with both medics and non-medics and get involved with events regardless of your background or beliefs. The university buildings and libraries are majorly very modern, with nice places to take a break and network/interact with others. There is also a variety of different accommodations to suit your needs – same sex, ensuites or shared bathrooms/kitchens. Either way, it is yet another opportunity to meet new people and make friendships.

Manchester has one of the biggest medical school in Europe, with a year group just shy of 400 students. Social media is a great way for ManMedSoc to create, plan and host events for such a large number of students. It aims to be very inclusive and hosts a variety of events so that everyone can get involved in the fun. This can range from bar crawls and clubs, to going for a game of bowling or a meal. You can see this for yourself:

Facebook: @ManMedSoc

Instagram: @manchestermedsoc

Website: www.manmedsoc.co.uk

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